Our Big Adventure

CHANNEL ISLANDS-JERSEY

We decide to have a look at The Channel Islands and travel by ferry to St Helier, the capital and main port on Jersey. Arriving after our very pleasant, albeit 9½ hour ferry ride through a force 7 gale. As we turn the corner at the marina and we hear music and laughter, and see men in tuxedos and women in beautiful evening gowns. We have arrived and the Out of the Blue Maritime Festival is in full swing. It’s an extravaganza of music, food, street theatre and it seems everyone from the island is here. We are drawn by a delicious smell to a food stall that is selling BBQ scallops, they are the largest and tastiest we have had since leaving Queensland. We have booked a B & B in St Clement, a parish on the southeastern coast of the island. After dropping off our bags, we walk to the local pub and have our first drink in Jersey, a pint of Stella for Brian and a glass of nice Aussie Shiraz for myself. I should probably explain that even though Jersey is the largest of the five main Channel Islands, it is only 117 sq kms or 14kms across by 8kms long. Jersey has 32 kms of white sandy beaches and we have been told that the water temperature is warmed by the currents from the Bahamas, but apart from a paddle to get to the fort at St Aubin we have not ventured into the water. The tides here rise and fall dramatically, often by as much as 12m, leaving sail boats high and dry as the water drains from the bays like water down the drain. The Channel Islands are British, but not part of the United Kingdom. They make their own legislation and internally are self-governing, and are divided into the bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, they also issue their own currency and stamps. Lying a mere 23 kms off the coast is St Marlo in Brittany, the coast of France can be seen in the distance. Jersey has a very European feel, street names, towns and many of the locals surnames are in French, some older locals still speak a Norman patois. Menu’s are often in French, regardless of the cuisine, and the seafood, especially the mussels or moules are fresh and wonderful. The Germans occupied the Channel Islands for five years during the Second World War. Today the hillsides along the coast are still dotted with concrete anti aircraft gun emplacements and bunkers. The islanders endured great hardships during the occupation, many sent away to prisoner of war camps and not all returning. You can tour the Jersey War Tunnels, an elaborate German World War II project, built deep underground by civilians and prisoners of war, designed as artillery barracks but later converted into a military hospital. There is so much to see on this island, from the charming fishing village of St Aubin, with it’s lively pubs and quayside bistros to the rugged cliffs and rocky promontory at Corbiere. And the best B & B we have stayed at since we left Australia, the Au Caprice Guest House,La Houle, St Aubin run by Eric and Helene, where we stayed to for our last week and a half week here, We just cannot get over the pace of the island, the locals are friendly and helpful and motorists stop for you to cross the road. With it’s leafy lanes and old stone forts, silver and gold smiths and of course the Jersey cows, we feel that this place is somewhere we want to stop for a while.

posted by Brian and Julie @ 3:38:00 AM